The recently concluded UAE Warriors 74 event had exciting fights in every weight class, but the African fighters dominated the show. Cameroon’s Jaures Dea and Egypt’s Flobater Fares secured victories, while Zimbabwean featherweight champion Sylvester Chipfumbu fought to a draw against Egypt’s unbeaten Abdelrahman Essam in Abu Dhabi.
The 12-fight event took place on October 22 at the ADNEC Centre and streamed live on UFC Fight Pass. It featured several African fighters across the card, with Dea and Fares among those who left the event with victories.
Dea defeated Morocco’s Marouane Bellagouit by unanimous decision, while Fares earned a unanimous decision win over Filipino fighter Ruel Pañales.
Jaures Dea defeats Marouane Bellagouit
Cameroon’s Jaures Dea secured a unanimous decision victory over Morocco’s Marouane Bellagouit in their featherweight bout.
The victory gave Dea a positive result against a fellow African fighter, adding another win to his professional record. Bellagouit, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to secure a victory in the matchup.
The contest was one of the all-African matchups on the card, highlighting the representation of African fighters at the Abu Dhabi event.
Flobater Fares extends winning run
Egyptian prospect Flobater Fares also recorded a victory, defeating the Philippines’ Ruel Pañales by unanimous decision in their catchweight contest.
Fares entered the event unbeaten at 4-0 and maintained his perfect professional record with the victory. The result marked another step forward for the Egyptian fighter as he continues his development in professional mixed martial arts.
Sylvester Chipfumbu and Abdelrahman Essam fight to a draw
Zimbabwe’s Sylvester Chipfumbu and Egypt’s Abdelrahman Essam fought to a unanimous draw in the featherweight co-main event.
Chipfumbu entered the contest as the UAE Warriors Intercontinental Featherweight Champion, while Essam arrived with an unbeaten professional record.
Neither fighter secured the decision, leaving the matchup without a winner after three rounds. The result also prevented Essam from adding another victory to his unbeaten record.
The draw was one of the event’s notable outcomes, given the contrasting experience of the two fighters and the attention surrounding the matchup.
Ayissi Bessala loses to Bashir Mustafaev
Cameroon’s Ayissi Bessala suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Bashir Mustafaev in a catchweight bout.
Bessala entered the contest unbeaten at 3-0, but Mustafaev secured the judges’ decision after three rounds to hand the Cameroonian his first professional loss.
The result ended Bessala’s unbeaten run and marked a setback for the young fighter.
Karim Labdou suffers first-round TKO defeat
Moroccan fighter Karim Labdou also endured a difficult night, losing to Amirchupan Taygibov by technical knockout in the first round.
Taygibov finished the contest with punches at 58 seconds of the opening round, giving Labdou little time to settle into the fight.
The early stoppage was one of the quickest finishes on the card.
Farida Abdueva wins UAE Warriors strawweight title
In the main event, Farida Abdueva defeated Michele Oliveira by unanimous decision to capture the women’s strawweight championship.
The Kyrgyz fighter went the distance with Oliveira, winning the judges’ decision after five rounds and ending the Brazilian champion’s reign.
The result capped a night of contrasting outcomes for the African contingent, with Dea and Fares securing victories, Chipfumbu and Essam sharing a draw, and Bessala and Labdou suffering defeats.
